If you have been following this blog for a significant amount of time, you probably know about my affinity for Johnny Francino’s music. Milwaukee’s Johnny Franchino has been one of the most riveting and entertaining artists to emerge out of Milwaukee in recent history. There is no one in the city doing it like them; their sound and overall persona make them stick out in a way that will capture anyone’s attention. Johnny Franchino makes music that takes elements from so many different genres, creating a style that is entirely his own. In the AESTHETIX music series, one will hear elements of Hip Hop, R&B, and various types of Electronic music that are put together so uniquely. Now, I am not the only one who feels this way who is a part of the Milwaukee music scene. In addition to being on my own Eastside Vibes list as having made some of the best music from a Milwaukee-based artist in 2023, Johnny won many awards last year from Wisconsin-based music publications to further than sentiment. Johnny Franchino began his awesome AESTHETIX music series at the beginning of last year. He was prolific with his output for this music series throughout all of 2023; by the finale of 2023, he ended up releasing 10+ AESTHETIX singles, as well as an EP under the same umbrella(many of which i wrote about; go check out those write-ups when you are done here if you have not yet)Johnny Franchino has continued his momentum and output in 2024 in a big way; to this point, Johnny has put out 10 singles already this year, and we are only in August(once again, go check out my write-ups on a few of the singles he has put out this year when you are done here). Johnny Franchino had a massive July, having released 4 singles in the month, including two in the last week. Below, I wanted to briefly highlight Johnny Franchino’s two newest singles, ‘Live 95’ and ‘Fragrances.’ Please let me know in the comments how you feel about these new singles from Johnny Franchino, and also comment the names of any other Milwaukee-based or rising independent artists you think I should check out!

‘Live 95’ is a song that has a pretty familiar sound and style for Johnny Franchino. Much of his AESTHETIX music from 2023 had a Hi-NRG tint that makes it sound like it came from the 1990s, and this track falls under that umbrella. Particularly, this track interpolates the iconic Technotronic track ‘Pump Up The Jam.’ The melody has a similar bright and gloomy synth-driven tone to the original track. The beat on ‘Live 95’ is a bit faster and more intricate than the one on the original. This beat feels way more modern, and there is a bit of a Hip Hop tone to these drums as well. The Hip Hop tone of the track is further exemplified in the rap verses from Johnny Franchino. His flow on this track is so smooth and clean, matching the energy of the beat so well. ‘Live 95’ is a cool track with a nostalgic tone that will get any fans of retro Electronic dancing. ‘Fragrances’ has a vastly different feeling from the previous one. This track has a way darker and funkier feeling to it. Instead of feeling inspired by old school Electronic music, ‘Fragrances’ feels influenced by R&B and Boom-Bap music. There is a bit of a House music element to the tempo of the drums, but their intricacy and overall pattern give me the stank face when I listen to this one. The stank face that the drums provide is amplified by the melody. This track is driven by a super groovy piano riff that is complemented by bright, shimmering synths. Johnny Franchino’s vocals on ‘Fragrances’ are so dynamic and full of life. His rap verses give the track a bit of grit, while his charming tone on the hook gives the track a lighter element. ‘Fragrances’ is a track with a sound that is a little different from what I have become accustomed to hearing from Johnny Franchino, and I hope he goes in that direction again soon because he kills it on this track. In addition to the tracks above, Johnny Franchino also dropped two other tracks in July, titled ‘All The Stars’ and Nonstop.’ Both of these tracks also show a separate side to Johnny Franchino’s artistry, and are definitely also worth listening to. Johnny Franchino has been on an awesome run with his AESTHETIX  series, and it has been so exciting to follow his progression.